Jen Chaney Author Archive
Give A Gift
MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Jen Chaney

TV Critic
See all their articles from across New York Magazine
@chaneyj
[email protected]

Vulture and New York TV critic Jen Chaney previously worked for the Washington Post and has bylines at the New York Times and Vanity Fair. She also wrote As If: The Complete Oral History of Clueless.

  1. tv review
    Snowpiercer Is Slow to Leave the StationThe long-gestating TV adaptation of Bong Joon Ho’s movie is both larger in scope and messier in execution, especially in its shaky early episodes.
  2. overnights
    Mrs. America Recap: Pie in the EyeThe road to a showdown at the National Women’s Convention is paved with pie assault and deep-fake mixtapes.
  3. tv review
    Kimmy Schmidt vs. the Reverend Is What Interactive TV Was Made ForNetflix’s choose-your-own-adventure special delivers the jokes, then more jokes, then still more jokes.
  4. tributes
    Jerry Stiller Made Frank Costanza a Sitcom LegendNo one could yell quite like George’s dad did on Seinfeld.
  5. tv review
    Dead to Me Is Even Wilder in Season TwoI mean that in a good way.
  6. tv review
    The Eddy Has Its Own RhythmsIf you can surrender to its freewheeling tempo, you may find pleasure, even moments of joy, in Netflix’s new Parisian jazz drama.
  7. overnights
    Mrs. America Recap: Right Up Your SkirtThe one where the conservatives and misogynists are winning.
  8. tv review
    The Parks and Recreation Reunion Special Is Such a GiftI wasn’t crying, I swear.
  9. overnights
    Mrs. America Recap: Free to Be You and MeAnother episode, another debate, this one with an added dose of marital tension.
  10. tv review
    Normal People Is an Honest, Absorbing Love StoryIt also features a ton of sex.
  11. spoilers
    Let’s Talk About That Little Fires Everywhere EndingThe finale of the Hulu miniseries aims for surprise by diverting from its source material, sometimes in ways that defy believability.
  12. overnights
    Mrs. America Recap: The Catfight ComethIn this corner: Phyllis Schlafly. In the other: Betty Friedan.
  13. tv review
    The New Prince Tribute Concert Is a Must-Watch Now More Than EverLet’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince, airing Tuesday night on CBS, is both a new special and a reminder of how live music used to feel.
  14. spoilers
    Better Call Saul Just Showed Us Who Kim Wexler Has Been All AlongThe ponytail is down, the gloves are off, and Kim’s finally unleashed her inner scrapper.
  15. tv review
    The Last Dance Is a Perfect Remedy for Sports WithdrawalA ten-part ESPN docuseries about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls would have been great under any circumstances. Right now, it feels like a gift.
  16. overnights
    Mrs. America Recap: Power Concedes NothingWhite feminism is a hell of a drug.
  17. overnights
    Mrs. America Recap: There Was Also JamThe rise and controlled rage of Gloria Steinem.
  18. overnights
    Mrs. America Premiere Recap: Are You Ladies Decent?Introducing Phyllis Schlafly, feminism’s worst nightmare, brought to you by the exceptional Cate Blanchett.
  19. tv review
    SNL Can Adapt to the Social Distancing Era — But Maybe Not Like ThisThis week’s “at home” experiment had its moments, but it also spoke to what the live-comedy institution can and cannot be in the midst of a pandemic.
  20. tv review
    Killing Eve Can Still Shock in Season 3, But It Can No Longer AstonishThe jarring season premiere reveals a series that once felt like nothing else on television now using shock value as a crutch.
  21. twin peaks at 30
    Why Agent Cooper’s Twin Peaks Entrance Is So BrilliantBest TV character introduction of all time?
  22. tv review
    Run Is a Next-Level Escapist FantasyA spontaneous cross-country journey with Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson? In this climate? Yes, please.
  23. vulture guides
    So, Which Quibis Are Worth Your Time?Just because an episode is under 10 minutes doesn’t mean it’s time well spent.
  24. docuseries
    Tiger King Is a Train Wreck — Nothing More, Nothing LessNetflix’s latest must-see series is an extreme, flawed example of a WTF docuseries that generates lots of conversation but little clarity.
  25. tv review
    Unorthodox Is a Beautiful Portrait of a Woman’s RebirthPut Netflix’s new four-episode series at the top of your “what to binge in isolation” list.
  26. social distancing
    Big Mouth Is Doing a Live, Teleconferenced Table Read for CharityAt least you’ve got Friday night plans now?
  27. coronavirus
    Andrew Cuomo’s Daily Press Briefing Is the Most Important Show on TVThe must-see TV of the coronavirus pandemic.
  28. close reads
    Everything I Watch Reminds Me of the Coronavirus. Why Can’t I Look Away?Screens are our tether to reality right now, even if you’re looking for a distraction.
  29. tv review
    Late Night TV Is Reinventing Itself For the Coronavirus EraBy shooting DIY webisodes at home, Jimmy Fallon and his late night rivals are more spontaneous and relatable than ever.
  30. vulture recommends
    What to Watch and Read to Fill the March Madness VoidTen basketball-related things to read or watch that (kinda sorta) make up for missing March Madness.
  31. tv review
    Little Fires Everywhere Almost Matches the Novel’s Incendiary Power. Almost.The Reese Witherspoon–Kerry Washington–starring adaptation is Hulu’s version of a page-turner, with a greater emphasis on melodrama than its source.
  32. tv review
    The Plot Against America Is a Devastating, Relevant Alt-History DramaDavid Simon and Ed Burns bring Philip Roth’s novel to HBO with an incisive depiction of just how personal politics can become.
  33. the weinstein trial
    23 Years Is Exactly What Harvey Weinstein DeservesThe contrast between what Weinstein was doing in 1997 and where he is now underscores how appropriate his sentence is.
  34. true crime
    Doug Mathews of McMillions Is America’s Showboat SweetheartFBI Special Agent Doug Mathews is a cocky white guy who laughs at his own jokes. Why do I love him so?
  35. tv review
    Hillary Looks Back at the 2016 Election With 20/20 HindsightWatching the new four-part Hulu docuseries about the life and career of Hillary Clinton can feel like poking at an old bruise. But it’s worth it.
  36. tv review
    Devs Takes Its Time to Blow Your MindThe FX on Hulu miniseries has all the hallmarks of a story by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation), but that may be more of a liability in TV form.
  37. encounter
    Super Tuesday With Steve Kornacki, MSNBC’s Wonk Superman“He has not stopped. He has not eaten. He’s only been drinking water for the past 18 hours.”
  38. character study
    How Kim Wexler Became Better Call Saul’s ‘Impending Tragedy’The slow unraveling of Saul’s Über-competent, perfectly ponytailed fan favorite.
  39. spoilers
    I Am Not Okay With This Goes Out With a BangThe blood-splattered finale of Netfilx’s superpowered coming-of-age story is the culmination of a season-long remix of classic teen movies.
  40. tv review
    Better Call Saul Finally Gets to the GoodmanIn the fifth and penultimate season, there’s a sense of impending doom and decay in the air. But in a good way.
  41. a long talk
    How Zoë Kravitz and Nick Hornby Became High Fidelity Playlist BuddiesThe star of the Hulu series loved the novel that inspired it, so she reached out for the author’s blessing — and wound up with a collaborator.
  42. tv review
    Hunters’ Over-the-Top Holocaust Revenge Fantasy Misses the MarkAmazon’s new Nazi-hunting pastiche goes out on many limbs, but can’t hold its balance on any of them.
  43. close reads
    Thank God High Fidelity Fixed RobBy casting Zoë Kravitz as its music-savvy lead, the new Hulu adaptation upends the novel’s and the film’s most infuriating gender bias.
  44. tv review
    High Fidelity Is a Great Cover of the OriginalThe similarities between Hulu’s take on the Nick Hornby novel and 2000 film are unmistakable, but its changes to the source push it in new directions.
  45. oral history
    An Oral History of How BoJack Horseman Almost Killed BoJack HorsemanThe show’s creators on making a trippy, creepy, death-obsessed penultimate episode.
  46. the gold rush
    The Oscars Ceremony Was Too Long, for No Good ReasonWhat could have been an all-timer of a broadcast was merely a good one, because too much unnecessary material was added.
  47. mat talk
    Cheer’s Jerry Harris on Positivity, Pressure, and Returning to NavarroA conversation with the boundlessly positive breakout about what has and hasn’t changed since he became everyone’s favorite mat talker.
  48. tv review
    The 2020 Super Bowl Ads Almost Made America Seem NormalAmid the familiar wash of celebrities and nostalgia trips, a few of this year’s commercials evoked the sense of unease that has become our new normal.
  49. spoilers
    The Good Place and BoJack Horseman Died As They LivedThese wonderfully existential shows confronted death to emphasize the meaning of life.
  50. tv review
    McMillions: We’re Lovin’ ItThe HBO docuseries is an absorbing Soderbergh-esque look at a scheme to hamburgle the McDonald’s Monopoly promotion.
More Articles